Belt



v BELT Herbert L. Rake, Cuyahoga Falls,

B. F. Goodrich Company, ration of New York Application January 30, 1958, Serial No. 712,168 3`Claims. (Cl. 198-198) hio, assignor to The New York, N.Y., a corpo- This invention relates to conveyors and more particularly to conveyor systems embodying belts having a skidresistant load-carrying surface especially suitable for carrying light packages on inclined courses.

i A package conveyor in accordance with this invention includes a belt having on its load-carrying surface a series of transverse cleats widely spaced from each other lengthwise of the belt. The regions between the cleats on the load-carrying surface are rendered skid-resistant preferably by a multitude of closely spaced transverse ribs appreciably shorter than the cleats. Both the cleats and the ribs are of soft, flexible, resilient rubber.

, A unique characteristic of the belt of this invention is that notwithstanding its cleated load-carrying surface,`

the belt is adapted for operating wits its cleated loadc'arrying surface directly engaging conventional cylindrical return idlers and snubbing or driving pulleys. It

has been found that the cleated load-carrying surface of this belt is capable of riding smoothly over cylindrical surfaced pulleys and idlers without causing objectionable vibration in the conveyor or impairing or otherwise damaging the skid-resistant surface of the belt. It is` therefore practical to use the cleated belt of this invention in very long conveyors which necessarily include such idlers to support the return run of the belt. This belt also makes feasible the use of snubbing or reverse-bend drive pulleys which are most advantageous because with such pulleys a belt can be operated under much lower tension than the tension needed for belts trained directly between a head and tail pulley. Heretofore, withthe cleated belts known prior to this invention, thelength of the individual conveyor llightsV was quite limited, 4and the benets of :using snubbing and drivinglpulleys against theload-carrying side could not -be realized; s "The preferred configuration of ribs and cleats formlng thel load-carrying` surface of the belt of this invention provides an;- unusually effective traction surface particulrly, suitable for carrying light smooth articles such as paper-wrapped or cardboard packages weighing less than apound. Small Very light `articles are norm-ally carried by this belt on the crests of the ribs. Should an article start 'to' slip on the belt, its movement is promptly checked as soon as the article engages one of the cleats.

Because of the flexibility of both the cleats and the ribs, they tend to fold toward the carcass when a heavy article is placed on the belt. If an article becomes caught ortjammedin the conveyor frame, the ribs and cleats are .fadaptedto foldedown and `pass under the stalled article without materially damaging the article. The same folding effect occurs as the load-carrying surface moves over or around a snubbing or reverse-bend drive pulleydepending on the tension in the belt. In their folded positions, wear on the ribs and cleats occurs primarily along the upstanding sides of the ribs and cleats,

rather than at their crests. Thus the skid resistant char- Vacter of -the load-carrying surface is preserved substantially uniform for the life of the belt.

ttes Patent lthe cleats preferably spaced so that their ZsZSJ i' Ice The cleats serve the additional function of facilitating the transfer of light articles onto and olf the belt.

Depending on the weight, shape and nature of the surface of the articles to be transported, the belts may be installed to carry articles along courses inclined as much as 45.

The invention will be further described with reference Fig. 2 is a semi-schematic perspective view showingV how the belt of Fig. l may be trained in a conveyor apparatus which includes a snubbing pulley and return idlers4 engaged with the load-carrying surface.

The particular belt shown in Fig. 1 includes a thin ilexible carcass 10 formed of three plies, 10a, 10b and 10c of a rubber-impregnated woven belt duck fabric. The cloth reinforcement of the carcass may vary according to the service for which the belt is intended and may be selected and constructed according to conventional iiat belt mak.

ing techniques.

The upper or load-carrying surface 11 of the belt is of rubber material vulcanized to the carcass. This surface is molded in the form of a multiplicity of closed-spaced parallel Vsoft flexible resilient ribs 12, all of substantially equal height and disposed perpendicularly to the longitudinalaxis of the belt. The surface 11 also includes a series of transverse cleats 14 which, like the ribs, are of soft, flexible and resilient rubber and which are disposed parallel to the ribs. The cleats 14 are widely spaced apart lengthwise of the belt so that there are very many ribs between successive cleats. The opposing upstanding sides of both the ribs and cleats taper upward from the carcass to thin upper flattened edges or crests 17 and 18, respectively.

For the purpose of illustrating preferred proportions, in the belt shown in Fig. 1 the ribs 12 are preferably spaced so that their crests 17 are about V4 crests 18 are about eighteen inches apart; between successive cleats there are seventy ribs 12.

Each of the ribs and the cleats has thegeneral crosssectional shape of an inverted V, or more precisely an isosceles triangle. is `joined `to the carcass is about equal to the base Width of the ribs.` The ribs are preferably proportioned so that their heights is about twice the width of their base. The height `of the cleats 14 is about three times the width oftheir base; thus the cleats are fifty percent higher than the ribs. Preferably the gap between the bases of adjacent ribs is about equal, to the base width of the ribs. The ribs 12a, however, which flank each cleat 14 are spaced from their. respective cleats a slightly greater distance than the base Width of the cleat. This additional4 spacing between ribs 12a and the cleats provides a channel 27 along eachside of the cleat which permits the cleat`s to, be foldededownwardly toward the carcass into a position 4such that the crests 18 of the cleats is at about the same elevation above the carcass as the crests of the adjoining ribs. Thus the cleats may be folded toward the carcass without providing an appreciable bump or irregularity in the contour of the load-carrying surface. This is one of the features of the design which makes it practical topass the load-carrying surface of this belt about a snubbing pulley and over other cylindrical pulleys without producing undue vibration in the conveyor or excessive wear on the load-carrying surface.

of the belt in Fig. l is indicated by theA inch apart and,

The base width of each cleat where it` VBecause of the triangular cross-sectional shape of the ribs and cleats, these elements are highly exible locally near their crests and areprogressively stiffer toward their b'a- Csse'fiutli, "ierilih "Ialasss" Qt very lisavy packages canr beMcarricdelectively on the same belt. The ribs are adapted to' distort" locally 4to conform 'tothe shape -ozf'the pafcka'goimthe article deposited 'on the belt. Heavier articles naturally will distortthe appreciably more than lighter articles.

Both theA ribs 12 and the cleats 14 are formed of soft exible resilient but durable rubber compounds. Rubber compounds having' a' 4Std 640,S'h'rreii durometei 'hardnessare preferred for the loadca'rrying surface. A 4

' Between successive ribs and/or-the'ribs and cleats the upper surface offth c arcas'sm'lll)` is'overed with a thin piftective'skin '19"of tll'e'rubber cover compound'. The term"f'r`ubber as used 4herein includes b oth natural rubber materials and synthetic'rubber-'like materialswhich hve'or can be vco'rnpou'nded to provide the'extensib'ility and elasticity characteristic ofnaturalrubber. The term includes materials 'such'v as" polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, etc., when properly compounded for this purpose,

As" previously mentioned, the cleats 14 not only cnoperate vvith the ribs to support packages but the cleats are also adapted toY engage and arrest sliding motion of an articlewliich may start to slide on the ribs. Another useful function ofthe cleats 14 is for'trans'ferring 'light aticles'on and off the'belt.y VThus as the load-carryingsurface of the belt moves upwardly around a tail f (Fig. 2) at the loading end offua conveyor belt, thecleats 14"'vvill successively'engage light packages at'the loading zone and push themonto the ribbed areasmbtweenthe cleats'.l Similarly, at the discharge e' head." Pulley" ZLFis 2.)." ,the

end '(for Vexarnplfy A r cleats operateto push an article directly'ontoa suitable receiving apron (not shown) in the plane of 'the ,loadcarryingsurface ahead of the head pulley 2l to thereby avoid Vcongestion at the discharge platform, Although tlieicleats'"are'veryv soft and flexible neartheir crests,

the 'medial portion of' 'the cleats` at about the 'elevation of the crest'of the ribs is sufficiently tp PllSh light packages on or oil theV belt.' i v InFig. 2 a belt like that of Fig. l is shown trained endlessly arounda head pulley 21 and a vtail pnlley 20. VToA yincrease the length of thebelt Vv vrapped about the surfaceof the h ead'pulley-ZLwl-lich is the driveV pulley inthe system illustrated, a snubbing pulley 23 islocated adjacent the pulley 21 so that it engages the load-carrying surface 11 in the return reach of the bel-t'. Thesnubbingv pulley 2,3"thus cooperates with the Vhead pulley 21'Lin driving 'the belt. ic'llers 2S.

Also the view shows several return reach pulley 2,3, its cleatsHMfare-felded over toward Vthe car# vcass "sothat' their crests 12S/are at about the elevation ofthe rib crests 17. 'Depending on the amount of tnsionin the belt", the ribs 12 may also be folded'somewhat'towam the carcass, but in' any event as the belt moves about pulley 2,3 the-crests of the ribs and cleats are at substantially the same elevation so thatvthe'bel't will movefairly smoothlyl around the snubbing'pull'ey 23 without imparting bumping or vibrating motions'to. the conveyorfb'elt. n The folding 'or nesting action of the ribs and cleats is essentially the same as the-'belt passes over idler rollsfzs in tfher'eturn reach, or if the snubbing pulley 28 itself e belt moves progressively aroundV the snubbing 4 l were powered to drive the belt. In the latter event the belt would preferably have agreater length of it wrapped about pulley 23 than as shown in Fig. 2.

Variations in the construction disclosed may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A conveyor belt having a flexible carcass and a load-carrying side thereon comprising a multitude of 01.0.59@ Spestl vSqft ilegible resilient rubber ribs of sub.- stantially equal height extending transversely to the loadcarrying side, and a plurality of soft lflexible resilient rubber pleats .attending transversely lo the load-carrying side, successive cleats being spaced apart longitudinally of the belt by a multitude of said ribs, all said cleats being of appreciably greater height in their normal upright position than said ribs, and saidribs and cleats being spaced relative tto each other so that the ribs and cleats may be talded toward the carcass 'to a ppsition'invvhich the crests of the ribs 'and the crests of the cleats are at substantially the same elevation above the carcass.` Y

2. A conveyor belt having a flexible carcass anda loadcarrying 'side thereon comprising many closely spaced soft flexible resilient parallel Arubber ribs extending transversely to` the load-'carrying side, said ribs being of inverted V cross-sectional shape, and all said ribs being of substantially equal height which height is equal to about twicethe Width' of lthewbase ofsaid ribs, and a plurality of'softullexible resilient rubber cleats extending trans' versely to vthe load-,carrying side parallel to said rib-{Said cleats also being Vof inverted cross-sectional shape and having Ya height ot abontthree 'times the width ofthe base thereof, the width of the base ofthe ribs'b elill'al ts'tl'vildtll Qfihsbse Offthe. cleats., .sucses ff cleats being spaced apart lengthwise of Vthe belt by multitude of said ribs, and saidribs and said cleats being of rubber compound having a Shore A durotnetei of between about and 60, and the ribs flanking each cleat being spaced from the cleat so that the Vcleat adapted for yfolding toward the carcass to a position in which the crests of the cleats is at substantially theisame elevation as the crests o f the ribs relative to the carcass. y v

Pllllyls; atniysr belt trained @baut Saldrullt-YS to provide a load-carrying reach and a return reach,' belt having a llexible carcass and a load-carrying s1 e thereon comprising a multiplicity of closely spacedV abit flexible resilient parallel rubber ribs extending 4transf versely to the load-carrying side, said ribs having opposf ing sides tapering upwardrtoward each Vother.f'ronflrthe carcass'to athin crest and-allribs Ybeingorf s ubstan equal height,"and a plurality of soft flexible res t rubber cleats extending transversely to the load-carry side parallel to said` ribs, Vsuccessive cleats Vbeing spaced apart longitudinally of the belt by a rmultitude'of said ribs, vand all said cleats projecting an appreciable distan/ce' above the crest of said ribs in the normal upright posi- Austin Feb. A19, V1924 2,776,528 Niederer et al. Ian. 8, 19,57y 2,784,835 Dixon Mar. 12, 19.57 

